The One Without Detention
by aimeedaralyon
Summary: ONE-SHOT. James has asked Sirius to help him break the rules for a very important plan. This is the only time the Professors let it happen without giving detention. Written for the Houses Competition round 6: Evil Conquers the World.


**Summary: ONE-SHOT. James has asked Sirius to help him break the rules for a very important plan. This is the only time the Professors let it happen without giving detention. Written for the Houses Competition round 6: Evil Conquers the World.**

House: Eagles

Class: History of Magic

Category: Standard

Prompt: [Romantic Pairing] Lily Evans / James Potter

Word count: 1352

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**The One Without Detention**

"Prongs, wait," Sirius stopped and grabbed James by his robes to hide behind a statue for the patrolling Professor.

They waited in silence until the danger of getting caught was over and then James shook his head. "Moony really needs to give me back my cloak as soon as possible."

Sirius laughed, "You know he will keep on using the werewolf excuse until you call him out on it, right?"

"It's alright," James answered when he saw that the coast was clear to leave their hiding place.

James motioned Sirius to follow him into the Great Hall and pointed at the ceiling.

Sirius looked up too and frowned. "Are you sure it will work?" Sirius wondered while looking up at the floating candles.

"It will work. You just have to amplify my transfiguration charm big enough to break the defence shields of the ceiling."

"Okay. Say when," Sirius replied while pointing his wand at James' wand.

Just when James wanted to say the incantation, Sirius stopped him.

"Wait, you have to tell me why we are breaking the rules before we do it."

James gave Sirius a look to see if he was serious, and he was. Sirius then smirked because he knew James was going to tell him because James needed his help. James debated whether or not to tell him when Sirius continued, "Not that it is going to stop us, but at least I'll have all the facts clear."

Now it was James' time to smirk.

"Alright, you're on. However, you have to promise not to stop me."

Sirius' smug face nodded slowly, 'I sincerely promise to help you with every rule you break."

Feeling relieved, James nodded as the answer was good enough.

"Well- I uhh- I'm going to ask Lily to marry me."

"Uhuh, and?" Sirius asked.

James was a little taken aback by Sirius' lack of surprise and then he realised that Sirius, and probably Remus knew him better than anyone else and that's why Sirius at least already knew that he was going to propose.

Or… they'd been going through his things and found the ring. Which seemed to be getting a likelier possibility with every second that passed. James observed Sirius' stance closely and then caught on the fact that Sirius had found the ring, otherwise Sirius wouldn't be here with him.

"You bastard! You've been going through my things!" James said disgruntled.

Sirius on the other hand didn't seem to be bothered by James' mood at all, just smiled smugly at his best friend and grinned. "If course I have."

James shook his head and bumped Sirius' shoulder roughly. "I'll get you for this."

Again, Sirius smirked. "Ready, Prongs?"

"Ready, Padfoot."

James took a big breath in to calm his nerves and focussed on the spell he needed to perform. He pointed his wand at the ceiling and spoke the incantation. Sirius followed with an amplifying spell and while James recast the charm over and over again, Sirius wand began to shake.

"I've got a feeling that it will break soon. The wards," Sirius clarified.

James nodded and turned to his best friend shortly, "When I've got it, you need to hide somewhere so you won't get caught."

Sirius started to shake his head, no but James was adamant. "Padfoot, please. I need you to be at my wedding if she says yes."

"Of course she'll say yes!" Sirius replied instantly.

Then, a loud crack sounded and James motioned Sirius to hide while pointing his wand at the floating candles to make them move in a specific shape. Slowly but surely the candles seemed to move and letters started to form. Sirius was safely hidden behind a statue outside the Great Hall when Peeves entered the Great Hall. Peeves started shouting uncontrollably, "Headmaster! Headmaster! Student out of bed! They are breaking the wards! Headmaster! The ceiling is being attacked!"

James just smiled and finished the words with much effort. When he turned to Peeves, he knew that Peeves was going to help him, after all, Peeves owed it to James, but that was a story for another time. "Peeves, I would like to ask you to wake everyone in the castle and make sure that they get down here. You know how important it is to have a good audience."

This seemed to amaze Peeves but after short consideration, Peeves knew that the Potter kid would probably get expelled for this stunt, even though it was his last year. Additionally, it would be the ultimate humiliation and there was nothing that Peeves liked more as Peeves was familiar with expulsion.

Peeves rushed away, making sure that everyone heard him, banging on pipes and armoured suits. "Wakey, wakey everyone! Someone is going to get expelled! Get down to the Great Hall immediately to see it happen first-hand!"

It took about two minutes for the first professors to arrive. First Professor McGonagall and then Professor Dumbledore. Contrary to James' expectations, Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore didn't seem angry, instead, both seemed quite amused with the ceiling and the atmosphere.

"You have done very well, Mr Potter. How did you manage all by yourself?" Professor Dumbledore asked intrigued.

"Well, you see, Professor. I just wanted it so badly, that I somehow managed! I wanted to create a warm big gesture, one that would never make her forget."

James smiled at the Headmaster and saw that Professor McGonagall was giving him a look that called his lies, but she remained silent next to Professor Dumbledore.

They waited in silence for the whole school to arrive and James felt his heart beat in his throat.

A big group of students dressed in pyjamas stood still at the entrance of the Great Hall, looking up in awe to the gorgeous night sky with the letters, 'Will you marry me, Lily Evans?' spelled out in floating candles.

The ones that didn't look up immediately whispered something among the lines of: "Is James Potter really going to get expelled?"

"Surely he won't be, expelled. He is a good student when he comes to class, most of the time-"

"OUT OF MY WAY!" the honey-sweet voice of Lily Evans sounded and broke the group of staring people apart.

"James Potter! You are not going to leave me here by getting expelled, do you hear me?" Lily shouted whilst storming forward to a smiling James. When she realised that Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall were both smiling at her, she stopped. She watched what James, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were now doing, which was looking up. She followed their example and read the words over and over again.

Then everyone became quiet and the lights seemed to get lower. She looked at James and saw him slowly kneel down to one leg. Her mouth fell open and she pressed her hands against her cheeks.

"What are you-"

"Shh Evans, you need to let him say this," Sirius whispered behind Lily.

James cleared his throat and took her hands in his.

"Lily Evans. From the moment I met you, I knew you were special. I knew you would mean the world to me one day. This is the day that I am going to tell you that that will never change. You are everything to me, and I would be so immensely honoured if you would become my wife and be with me for the rest of my life."

Lily blinked. James took out a small box and opened it strategically slow.

She hardly gave the ring a second look but instead she penetrated his eyes with hers, like asking if he was going crazy. Instead, James smiled, filled with hope and love that radiated from the way he looked at her. "Lily Evans, will you marry me?"

The Great Hall had never been so quiet with so many people before and the tension was palpable but Lily seemed immune. She was only looking at the love of her life, the one that had made her so happy with his crazy stunts and unconditional love that she couldn't stop herself.

"Yes."


End file.
